Mice are the subject of many phobias. The sight if a mouse will send many people scurrying from the room or up onto the furniture.
While I don't particularly care for the wild mice that try to move in to my home every winter, I have had some lovely pet mice (such as Maisy, in the photo above).
Rats provoke a worse reaction than mice, having a reputation as being dirty, disease-spreading vermin. To many people their size makes them scarier than mice, I suppose, and some people can't get past that long hairless tail.
However, both mice and rats make wonderful pets. Mice are sociable, active and entertaining to watch. Rats tend to be even a little calmer than mice, but are also very sociable; in my opinion, rats are one of the best rodent pets.
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